Trip-coupling.



No. 745,225. v PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903. D. M. MOTHERWELL.

TRIP GOUPLING. AP'rILIoATIoN 'FILED SEPT. 1o, 19oa.

N0 MODEL.

"Y Aww UNITED STATES Patented November 24,1903.

PATENT OEEICE.

DAVID M. MOTHERWFLL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE WHIT- TIoN 0E oI-IIo. Y

TRIP-COUPLING.l

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 190.745,225, dated November 24, 1903.

Application filed September 10, 1903. Serial No. 172,616. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom. .it may concern-.-

Beit known that LDAvID MMOTHERWELL, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trip-Couplings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to trip-couplings for use in hay-slings and analogous devices, and is designed to look the sections of these de-V vices together securely and to disconnect them readily and expeditiously when desired.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of a trip-coupling embodying my invention with the outer casting of the main frame removed to show the interior construction and the loop of the trip-plate broken away torshow the manner in which the lock-finger engages it. Fig. 2 is a `View of the main frame and tripplate, taken on line 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 3 is a similar view on line 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a similar view on line 4 of Fig. 1.

A denotes the main frame, composed of the two arched castings 5 and 6, forming a cavity forthe incasement of the mechanism and provided at the top with the circular opening 7 for the admission of the tr-ip-rope 8 and at the bottom with the arched opening 9 to permit the trip-loop 10 to be inserted into the grasp of the lock-finger 1-1. The castings 5 and y6 are preferably riveted together., On either side of the opening 7 are the eyes 12 and 13, through which the sling-rope 14 is passed and drawn around the back of the eX- terior of the frameA. The tripplate (forming with the main frame A the two members' of my trip-coupling) consists of the two eyes 15 and 16, through which the sling-rope 17 is passed, and the loop 10. This rope I prefer to draw around the back of the tripplate from one eye to the other, so that the pull of the loads inclosed in the ropes 14 and 17 shall be on the same side of the coupling. Eyes 15 and 16 are placed, preferably, at right angles to the vertical loop 10, which is adapted to afford a slot-opening for engagement with the lock-tinger 11. This lock-finger is pivotally mounted at 18 within the main frame, so that it may be alternately rocked horizontally in and out of the opening 9. At its upper side,

disposed on the side opposite to the curve of ,thelock-nger, so as to form a lever with its fulcrum at 18, is the eye 19, in Which'is secured the trip-rope 8.' Pressed against the upper side at an angle calculated to maintain the curved end of the linger within the orifice 9 is the spring 20, secured at 2l to the casing OHIO, A CORPORA- and at the opposite end to shank 22 onv the ring of eye 19. When the trip-rope is pulled up through the opening 7, the finger 11 compresses spring 20, and the curved end of the Afinger is swung out of the opening 9; but when the rope 8 is released the tension of the spring rocks the curved end of the lock-nger back into the opening 9. The sides of the opening 9 and the bottom in the curved end oflock-nger 11 are so sloped and curved thatthe rounded edge of loop 10 when brought forcibly in contact with them will push the lock-finger aside and enter the opening 9, when the lock-nger actuated by the spring will slip into the opening in the loop, thus coupling the parts A and B automatically.

In operating my device the ropes 14. and 17, inserted, as above described,in the eyes 12 and 13 and 15 and 16, resp'ectively,are drawn about the load,`and loop l0 on the trip-plate B is inserted in the opening either by striking it against the main frame between the lips of the opening and the curved end of lock-finger 11 to force back the lock-finger or by drawing the finger back by means of rope-8. either case the spring 20 will cause the locknger as soon as it is released to drop into loop 10, thus securely coupling the parts A and B, after which they may be uncoupled by operating rope 8 to draw the curved end of lock-finger llout of loop 10, thereby releasing the trip-plate.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is p 1. A trip-coupling consisting essentially of a loop and a casting having an opening in one end adapted to receive it, a curved lock-finger secured to said casting and'adapted to swing in said opening and hook into said loop, and means for alternately hooking and unhooking said loop and curved finger, whereby said casting and loop are alternately coupled and uncoupled, for the purposes described.

2. A trip-coupling, comprising a trip-plate having a vertical loop and a main part provided with an opening at one end adapted to receive said loop, said main part having a loek-nger pivotially mounted therein near said end and adapted to swing horizontally into said loop, a spring adapted to hold the end of said lock-finger within said loop anda trip-rope adapted to draw said finger out of said loop, for the purposes described.

3. Inatrp-couplinghaviugatrip-plate provided with means for securing ropes thereto and a vertical loop, a main casting provided with means for securing ropes thereto and having an opening in one end adapted to fit about said loop, a look-finger pivotally mounted in said casting having a Curved end adapt- DAVID M. MOTHERWELL.

Witnesses:

CHARLEs L. HINE, ROBERT CA'rHERWooD. 

